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Kaliningrad is unique primarily in that, although it is part of the Russian Federation, it has no borders with it. On one side it neighbors Lithuania, on the other - with Poland. Once upon a time there was a Prussian fortress in its place, then it turned into a city called Königsberg. During the Seven Years' War, it became part of Russia, then Peter III returned it back to East Prussia. After the Great Patriotic War, Koenigsberg finally passed into the hands of the USSR and became Kaliningrad. This is how the game of ping pong came out.

There are four ways to get to this city, let’s look at each. We will pay special attention to the visa: in what cases it is needed and in what cases it is not.

By train

You can get to Kaliningrad by train, but do you need a visa? According to the established rules, choosing this type of transport to visit the city implies the mandatory registration of a foreign passport and visa .

Documentation

A citizen of the Russian Federation who wants to visit Kaliningrad by train needs not only tickets, but also an international passport and a simplified travel document (STD Railway).

A simplified document is issued when purchasing a ticket. But it does not yet guarantee that transit through Lithuania is open to the owner.

You can find out about the opening of transit one day after receiving a simplified travel document.

Issuance of UPD Railway

When choosing the Moscow-Kaliningrad train and knowing whether a foreign passport is needed, all that remains is to find out about the provision of transit:

1. Since information about a tourist is transferred to the Lithuanian embassy only after purchasing a ticket, you need to wait at least 26 hours.
2. It may take another day to make a decision.

You can find out about the decision at the box office or on the Russian Railways website if the purchase was made online.

If a transit visa is not provided, you can return the ticket and receive its full cost.

Border crossing

If a citizen of the Russian Federation has been granted permission to travel through Lithuania, he must comply with the established rules.

A train transit visa to Kaliningrad is only valid if:

• the owner does not leave the train;
• does not use other transport visas;
• stays on the territory of Lithuania for no more than 6 hours .

While on the train, the tourist is also required to fill out a special form, which should then be given to a representative of the Lithuanian embassy (he is on the train during the entire trip).

Schengen visa

To obtain any type of visa you will need to contact the Lithuanian or Polish Embassy. It can be found in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and documents can also be submitted through the Visa Center. Such centers are located in many large cities of Russia.

To apply for a transit visa, the application form that must be filled out will differ from the one provided when obtaining a tourist visa. In the first case, you can fill out the document in Russian in Cyrillic, and in the second case, you will definitely need to fill out the form in English in Latin letters. In any case, the visa fee will cost 35 euros. When submitting an application through the Visa Application Center, you will have to pay an additional visa fee of 21 euros.

Documentation

To apply for any type of entry permit, you will need to provide the following package of documents:

1. A completed application form in accordance with all requirements.
2. A foreign passport valid for 3 months after the planned date of departure from the EU, as well as with 2 free pages for obtaining a visa and obtaining a border crossing stamp.
3. 2 photographs measuring 35 by 45 mm, taken on a white background.
4. Documents confirming a person’s employment or other type of employment.
5. Financial documents on the solvency of each applicant. If a person is insolvent, he must have a letter from a sponsor who agrees to sponsor him on this trip. Only close relatives can act as a sponsor.
6. Documentary evidence that the trip is in transit or that there are hotels booked for accommodation.
7. Medical insurance valid throughout the European Union, as well as throughout the entire duration of the trip.

If there are minor citizens, an additional visa will be required for each child. Children under 6 years of age are exempt from paying the consular fee. If a child is traveling with only one parent, he will need consent from the other parent and a photocopy of that parent’s passport. The child must have a birth certificate.

Therefore, depending on the chosen method of travel to Kaliningrad, Russian citizens in some cases are required to obtain a visa to cross the border of EU countries, through which their route to a remote region of Russia lies.

By car

Many Russian tourists prefer to travel by private car. But in this case, it is important to know whether you need a foreign passport to Kaliningrad.

Besides. There are many other nuances that should not be forgotten.

Route

The question of how to get to Kaliningrad by car worries many motorists. It all depends on which locality the tourist is going to travel from.

If this is Moscow , then you can choose one of two routes:

• M1 – Belarus and Lithuania;
• M9 – Latvia and Lithuania.

Tourists from St. Petersburg most often choose the Estonia-Latvia-Lithuania route.

Documentation

A trip by car to Kaliningrad requires the tourist to have certain documents. He must have a passport and one of the following documents:

• Schengen visa;
• UPD Railway.

It is more convenient to have a Schengen visa, since with it a traveler can visit any country in the European Union.

A simplified travel document is issued faster. UPD Railway is chosen when there is no need to visit other countries besides Lithuania and Latvia.

Green map

Before driving a car to Kaliningrad, you need to take out insurance (Green Card).

The contract is mandatory, since the absence of a policy while traveling by car is a serious violation of European law. And even moreover, without it it will be impossible to cross the border.

The period for which insurance is issued ranges from 15 days to 1 year.

The cost of the policy varies, as it depends on the validity period and type of transport:

• on average, 15 days for a passenger car will cost 2,500 rubles ;
• a policy for 1 month will cost 4,600 rubles .

But if in addition to the vehicle there is also a trailer, then the amount will increase - 3,200 rubles (15 days) and 6 thousand rubles (1 month).

Video: Traveling to Kaliningrad by car - crossing borders, visas, insurance

From St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad: the most important things you need to know about traveling by car

The Kaliningrad region is an exclave of the Russian Federation, bordering Poland and Lithuania. Due to the special position of the region, the issue of transport communication between it and the main territory of Russia is especially acute. Yes, it is possible to get there by land, both by train and by car. However, this requires crossing several countries. The NewInform correspondent, using his own example, decided to understand the situation and get from St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad by car .

Documentation.

The first thing we had to deal with was the necessary documents. And so, to travel to the Kaliningrad region by car you will need:

• Visa.
• Russian Federation passport.
• International passport.
• Documents for the car (STS).
• Car insurance (OSAGO/CASCO).
• Green Card.
• Diagnostic card (technical inspection).

You can get from St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad along three main routes: two of them through Latvia and Lithuania , or through Lithuania and Belarus . The routes through Latvia and Lithuania are similar, except that one of them passes through Riga. They are suitable for people who have a Schengen visa (Schengen) or are ready to apply for one. This document can be obtained for 35 euros per person when contacting the Latvian Embassy. Schengen registration takes about a month.

In the absence of Schengen, you can save on paperwork by choosing a route through Lithuania and Belarus. The fact is that in order to travel through Lithuania, you can issue a so-called “Simplified Transit Document” (STD) at the embassy of this state. It is done within five working days and costs 5 euros.

FTD has its own peculiarities. It, like a regular visa, is issued for a certain period. This can be either a year or six months. It provides the opportunity to enter and leave Lithuania, but you can stay on the territory of this country for no more than 24 hours . This is enough to walk around local cities or even spend the night, since the journey through Lithuania does not take much time.

“The journey across Lithuania takes no more than four hours. This is if you strictly follow the traffic rules and don’t get lost.”

Green card – car insurance outside the Russian Federation. When purchasing it, you need to be careful with the insurance company.

“They tried to sell me two Green Cards: for EU countries and Belarus separately.”

Indeed, there is a Green Card valid on the territory of Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and Azerbaijan and it costs much less. However, we need to cross European countries that also have this system. Therefore, you need to purchase a document for all countries , which also includes Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. For these countries, in our case, a separate document is not needed. The cost of such a Green Card is about 2,400 rubles.

“Closer to the border there are more and more “tents” where you can get a Green Card. Therefore, if you forgot or didn’t have time to buy it at home, you can do it on the road.”

As it turns out, you should also have the diagnostic card with you . They may be asked to show it at the border with Lithuania or Latvia. In EU countries, they are very concerned about the technical condition of cars entering the state.

“I don’t recommend going on a trip in a faulty car. The road is not easy. It happens that for hundreds of kilometers there is not a single decent gas station.”

Routes.

As we have already found out, there are three main ones: two of them through Latvia and Lithuania, and through Lithuania and Belarus. Through two European countries, according to the Yandex.Maps service, the path is 1035 or 1046 kilometers . It will take longer to travel through Lithuania and Belarus, 1258 kilometers , however, as we have already found out, it is easier according to the documents.

Source: Yandex.Maps service.

One way or another, if you move from St. Petersburg, the path goes through Pskov. Then the options appear: go to Latvia or Belarus. There are two main routes through the territory of Latvia to Lithuania, one of which lies through Riga, and the second along the eastern border of the country. It’s good to go through Riga if you want to see the city and don’t mind losing precious time.

“If you are driving through Belarus, I recommend moving through the village of Kotlovka, which is located on the border with Lithuania. Having built a route to it in the navigator, it’s difficult to make a mistake with the road.”

“At the entrance to the Belarusian border there are both free and toll roads. You will have to pay 220 rubles at the booth in front of the barrier before leaving the territory of the Russian Federation. The opposite is also true: when entering Russia you have to pay if you want to use a toll road.”

In Lithuania, in this case, you can use two routes, one of which is an expressway, the speed of which is limited to 130 km/h . The other route goes straight through the country, but passes through populated areas. One way or another, both routes lead to the city of Marijampole, from which there is already a road to the Russian border.

Boundaries.

At each border checkpoint, cars and trucks go through customs separately, so there is no point in going on a weekend so that there are fewer trucks. Perhaps to make the journey easier, since on weekdays there are many more trucks on the highways.

Here you need to carefully follow the signs, since at automobile checkpoints the rules of the “green and red corridors” work somewhat differently. Signs often do not match the color markings. It is important not to confuse the queue you need to join.

“With infants, they say, you can cross the border without queuing. To do this, as I understand it, it is better to first approach the customs officer and clarify this issue, and not get into trouble.”

There are quite friendly people working at all borders who will always tell you which corridor to stand in, where to approach or what to do. Everyone speaks Russian , so there should be no problems.

Journey.

If you stretch the journey over two days, then it can really be called a short trip. There is an opportunity to visit several capitals of different countries at once, get acquainted with local attractions or just take a walk.

If you move purposefully, stopping only to refuel the car and have a snack, the journey will take from 16 to 18 hours , depending on traffic congestion, borders, repair work and weather conditions.

“The road is generally good. There are no areas where the surface is clearly broken, which is why you have to slow down.”

Photo source: newinform.com

Valentina Romanova

By plane

Knowing whether you need a foreign passport to travel to Kaliningrad, you can choose the appropriate transport. But in this case, a plane is more convenient than a train or a personal car. And this applies not only to the duration of the flight (travel from Moscow takes 2 hours, and from St. Petersburg – 1.5 hours).

Citizens of the Russian Federation who fly to Kaliningrad from any city in Russia are exempt from the need to take a foreign passport with them and apply for a visa (Schengen or transit).

Despite the fact that the plane flies over other states, formally the flight is carried out from one Russian city to another . Therefore, there is no customs inspection or provision of additional documents.

All a tourist needs is a ticket and an internal passport.

Trip to Kaliningrad by train

Traveling to Kaliningrad from Moscow begins from the Belorussky station , from St. Petersburg - from the Moskovsky station . Travel time is about a day.

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Both regular fast and branded trains go to Kaliningrad. Sometimes a train may combine luxury and regular cars. The difference between them is small and concerns the interior design of the compartment and common spaces (branded textiles, carpets).

The branded train running between Moscow and Kaliningrad is called “Yantar” . The trip to the final destination takes 20 hours, back - 18 hours.

Each train bound for Kaliningrad must include a dining car. Food can be ordered and delivered to your compartment.

On a ferryboat

If it is not possible to travel to Kaliningrad by car, train or plane, you can use the ferry.

This option is especially convenient for residents of St. Petersburg, since you can only get to Kaliningrad by water from the port of Ust-Luga. For this purpose, tourists are provided with “Baltiysk” and “Ambal”.

The ferry runs once every 4 days, so your trip should be planned in advance.

But it should be understood that the destination port is Baltiysk. This city is located 45 kilometers from Kaliningrad . Therefore, travelers forced to use the ferry then transfer to regular buses.

This is not the only inconvenience, as you have to undergo lengthy customs inspection .

There is information that in the near future another new ferry will be launched on the Ust-Luga – Baltiysk line. More details in the following report:

Self-application of a visa to Kaliningrad

Have you decided to do the paperwork for your trip to Kaliningrad yourself?

Then you should decide on the route in advance and contact the consulate of the country you will be crossing in transit. If you travel through Latvia and Lithuania, then you can get by with just a “Schengen” card, which is issued through the consulate of the country of first entry (Latvian). If the route passes through Belarus, a visit to the Lithuanian representative office will be required. In both cases, you will need to sign up in advance to submit documents.

Download and fill out the form, prepare all the required certificates and, on the appointed day, hand them over to the consulate officers along with a receipt for payment of the visa fee. After 7 days you will have to come to the department again to pick up your completed passport.

Traveling with children

It is also important to know whether Russians need a visa to Kaliningrad if the whole family goes on a trip. Young tourists may also require additional documents.

You should find out in advance what documents are needed for traveling to Kaliningrad for minors . In this case, parents have two options:

• they can issue a separate passport for a young child;
• enter all information about it into your documents.

The first option is often used when the child travels with third parties. In addition, in case of traveling by land, a minor passenger will also need a Schengen visa or a simplified travel document.

When flying or using a ferry, children, like adults, do not need to apply for a visa. But upon reaching 14 years of age, the child must have an internal civil passport.

If he is traveling with one of the parents, the second must issue a notarized consent to take the child out of the country.

If the accompanying person is a third person, consent is provided by the mother and father. In the event of the death of one of them, confirmation is required using an appropriate certificate. In the absence of such a document, taking a child abroad (if this is by land transport) will be considered illegal .

Since Kaliningrad has been part of Russia since 1946, our citizens have enough reasons to visit it. And even the geographical location does not prevent you from visiting this city if necessary.

Having found out whether you need a foreign passport to Kaliningrad, you can easily choose transport for your trip. For example, those who know whether they need a foreign passport to Kaliningrad by plane choose this option.

Do I need a visa when traveling by plane?

If you fly to Kaliningrad directly from Minsk, you do not need to obtain any visa.
You will not cross the border of the Schengen zone. In some cases, flying by plane may be cheaper than traveling by land. After all, when applying for a Schengen visa, you will spend at least 60 euros (include additional costs for insurance and visa center fees). Therefore, if you do not need to make regular trips to the Kaliningrad region, perhaps the easiest solution for you will be to fly by plane. Date of publication: 07/27/2018